Facebook’s f8 Developer Conference 2014

Facebook is hosting the F8 Developer Conference in San Francisco on Wednesday, April 30th at 9:30am a.m. PT. Join senior writer Austin Carr for live updates from the day-long event, accompanied by commentary from Fast Company senior writers and editors in Chicago and New York.

Here's a quick summary of what happened during the keynote session that kicked off Facebook's F8 conference:

Anonymous Login lets users try apps out anonymously, and sign in with their real information later if they decide they like it.
AppLinks allow users to slide seamlessly from app to app--it's essentially deep-linking between apps.
Facebook finally unrolled a Mobile Like button.
Facebook Audience Network helps developers take advantage of Facebook's ad platform on mobile, so they don't have to put so much energy toward audience targeting, analytics, and so forth.

Facebook's updates today, overall, feel like they're breaking the walls down between platforms. Hear me out. The Like button is now on mobiles and desktops. Links embedded within apps can quickly take you from one app to another app. There's also an option to send yourself a push notification, from Facebook desktop, to download an app on your phone. It's not just about merging desktop and mobile (but that's part of it). It's about getting rid of platform distinctions and points of friction when hopping around websites and apps. Facebook wants to be your wiring to everything you want within the digital world.Mark WilsonApr 30, 2014 at 10:48 AM

3rd & 7 37yd

Good morning, everyone. We're gearing up for Facebook's F8 conference today. First on the agenda: a keynote by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg at 10am Pacific. Fast Company's Austin Carr is at the event in San Francisco and will be bringing you live updates.

by Anjali Mullany 4/30/2014 3:42:26 PM
Facebook hasn't held an f8 conference since 2011, when it unveiled a new Open Graph and Timeline.

by Anjali Mullany 4/30/2014 4:12:28 PM
21 speakers on the F8 agenda today -- but only four of them are women: Stephanie Shum, Allison Swope, and Sharon Zeng are product managers, and Bear Douglas is a developer advocate who will be providing an overview of Parse, the cloud-based app development platform which Facebook acquired last year.

by Anjali Mullany 4/30/2014 4:36:30 PM
You can watch a live stream of Mark Zuckerberg's keynote, which starts in 12 minutes, here: f8.facebooklive.com

by Anjali Mullany 4/30/2014 4:47:20 PM
Good morning, y'all. We've arrived at Facebook's f8 event in San Francisco, where even at 9:50 a.m., the place is packed from wall-to-wall with developers and reporters (and likely a few people who just snuck in for the free food).

There are Oculus testing stations all around, engineers offering advice, and a sense of anticipation for CEO Mark Zuckerberg's keynote, which begins in just 10 minutes.

by Austin Carr edited by Anjali Mullany 4/30/2014 4:53:21 PM
Facebook is clearly sparing no expense with f8 today. The livestream is a fully-produced channel, with a host and studio for interviews and analysis; the event lobby has a custom art installation; the food will be the same as is available on Facebook's Menlo Park campus; there is a gaming lounge as well as 4 Oculus stations for attendees to experience virtual-reality gaming; and the event stage backdrop is some kind of live map that will pulse and change using light.

by David Lidsky edited by Anjali Mullany 4/30/2014 4:54:31 PM
Looks like Facebook pulled profile pics of all #F8 attendees for a wall mural. Kinda cool. Kinda creepy. http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BmezrE4CcAAypIm.jpg

by Kurt Wagner via twitter 4/30/2014 4:57:18 PM
The Mobile Like Button

by Joel Arbaje 4/30/2014 5:42:24 PM
Mobile Like is actually a better deep linking idea in apps than the Applinks product.

by David Lidsky 4/30/2014 5:42:52 PM
You aren't alone. I had no clue that mobile sites DIDN'T already have a Facebook Like button, either. Apparently you could "share" but not "like" something.

by Mark Wilson 4/30/2014 5:42:58 PM
Archibong also introduces a "sent to mobile" feature for the desktop, so when a user logins or installs an app with Facebook on a desktop, Facebook will give you the option to send a notification/reminder to your smartphone, to download the mobile app too.

by Austin Carr 4/30/2014 5:43:26 PM
Facebook has also introduced FB Start. It's a program that will give $5,000 in free services to startups getting off the ground, and $30,000 in free services to accelerate growth for more mature startups.

by Austin Carr 4/30/2014 5:46:42 PM
Facebook once had FB Fund which was a seed-stage investment for Facebook Platform companies. TaskRabbit is probably the most famous FB Fund recipient. Now Facebook has this Start program to offer developers tools and up to $30,000 to get started.

by David Lidsky 4/30/2014 5:46:47 PM
by Austin Carr 4/30/2014 5:47:56 PM
This thing is so damn heavy.

by Austin Carr 4/30/2014 5:48:07 PM
Austin, wow. Looks like you're wearing one of those lucite things they give out when you ship a product.

by David Lidsky edited by Anjali Mullany 4/30/2014 5:48:36 PM
Facebook's updates today, overall, feel like they're breaking the walls down between platforms. Hear me out. The Like button is now on mobiles and desktops. Links embedded within apps can quickly take you from one app to another app. There's also an option to send yourself a push notification, from Facebook desktop, to download an app on your phone. It's not just about merging desktop and mobile (but that's part of it). It's about getting rid of platform distinctions and points of friction when hopping around websites and apps. Facebook wants to be your wiring to everything you want within the digital world.

by Mark Wilson 4/30/2014 5:48:38 PM
Deb Liu, of FB Platform products, comes on stage to talk about “making a little money” on FB.

by Austin Carr edited by Anjali Mullany 4/30/2014 5:50:24 PM
"Money is the lifeblood of your business," Liu says. Well, tell that to devs at revenue-free startups likely in the audience.

by Austin Carr 4/30/2014 5:51:28 PM
Deb Liu on stage - so I guess that makes her a 5th female speaker at the event today (at least 4 more coming up).

by Anjali Mullany 4/30/2014 5:51:35 PM
Liu: 375 million people play games with Facebook each month.

by Austin Carr edited by Anjali Mullany 4/30/2014 5:52:15 PM
Liu now talking about Facebook's own troubles making money in mobile.

by Austin Carr 4/30/2014 5:52:40 PM
Despite having the top apps in iOS and Android, "We made no money," she says.

by Austin Carr 4/30/2014 5:52:55 PM
"We needed to solve this problem for ourselves...we couldn't just take our right-hand side ads and move them to mobile".

by Austin Carr edited by Anjali Mullany 4/30/2014 5:53:05 PM
Two years later, however, the company boasts a billion users on mobile, with 60% of its ad revenue generated from mobile.

by Austin Carr 4/30/2014 5:53:39 PM
Liu now contending that she loves to see the beautiful ads in her news feed when she wakes up in the morning.

by Austin Carr 4/30/2014 5:54:16 PM
Outside that Taco Bell ad Instagram recently featured in your feed, how do y'all feel about Facebook's native ads?

by Austin Carr 4/30/2014 5:55:07 PM
AppLinks is ex. of long term thinking/innovation that leads me to really respect Facebook even as infreq user #FBbull http://t.co/Z06A5aK3no
— Satya Patel (@satyap) April 30, 2014

by David Lidsky 4/30/2014 5:55:21 PM
Liu introduces the Facebook Audience Network.

by Austin Carr edited by Anjali Mullany 4/30/2014 5:55:49 PM
Liu: "We've brought it all together for you so you don't have to hire a giant sales team to sell ads".

by Austin Carr edited by Anjali Mullany 4/30/2014 5:56:05 PM
Liu: "It's all done for you".

by Austin Carr edited by Anjali Mullany 4/30/2014 5:56:12 PM
The Facebook Audience Network essentially allows developers to take advantage of Facebook's ad platform on mobile, so they don't have to worry about audience targeting, analytics, and so forth -- Liu says FB will take care of it for you.

by Austin Carr 4/30/2014 5:58:59 PM
"It’s the best experience for advertisers because they’re getting the ROI they’re looking for," while devs have an “easier time getting these ads in their system”.

by Austin Carr edited by Anjali Mullany 4/30/2014 5:59:23 PM
And Zuck is back on stage.

by Austin Carr edited by Anjali Mullany 4/30/2014 5:59:54 PM
“One thing you didn’t hear was completely new shiny product from us because today is all about you and listening to you and deepening how we support you”.

by Austin Carr edited by Anjali Mullany 4/30/2014 6:01:04 PM
Zuck announced f8 next year, 3.25.2015 at Fort Mason.

by Austin Carr edited by Anjali Mullany 4/30/2014 6:01:14 PM
He says you can expect f8 to be more regular occurrence, around this time each year.

by Austin Carr 4/30/2014 6:01:30 PM
Zuck says they have more than a million active advertisers that are just waiting for your apps.

by Mark Wilson 4/30/2014 6:01:34 PM
Zuck now concluding on a personal note, turning 30, 10 year anniversary of FB, and 10 year anniversary of when he met his wife.

by Austin Carr edited by Anjali Mullany 4/30/2014 6:01:54 PM
Zuck is talking about bringing the hacker culture to the next 10 years of Facebook.

by Austin Carr edited by Anjali Mullany 4/30/2014 6:03:16 PM
And Zuck's keynote comes to a close, ending by saying he wants to help developers build on Facebook platform.

by Austin Carr edited by Anjali Mullany 4/30/2014 6:04:40 PM
Zuck on stage.

by Austin Carr edited by Anjali Mullany 4/30/2014 6:05:38 PM
by Austin Carr 4/30/2014 6:05:45 PM
All right, that's all for now folks. But there will be other interesting talks throughout the day, so stay tuned!

by Austin Carr 4/30/2014 6:07:15 PM
App Links explainer video.

by Anjali Mullany 4/30/2014 6:51:47 PM

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Facebook’s f8 Developer Conference 2014

Facebook is hosting the F8 Developer Conference in San Francisco on Wednesday, April 30th at 9:30am a.m. PT. Join senior writer Austin Carr for live updates from the day-long event, accompanied by commentary from Fast Company senior writers and editors in Chicago and New York.

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